This invention relates to aerial markers, and more particularly to markers having various configurations of neon lamps that cooperate with the exterior of colored spherical balls designed as capacitors to provide daytime and nighttime conspicuity of at least 4000 feet when the lamps are activated.
Many miles of high voltage transmission lines are constructed to be elevated to sufficient height, relative to the surrounding terrain, to minimize ground vehicle contact with the line. These lines are not easily visible from the air and present a hazard to low-flying aircraft. It is common to mark these transmission lines in strategic locations; the markers being spherical shaped fiberglass shells with a highly visible color to increase daytime visibility. It would, of course, be quite desireable to increase nighttime visibilty by illumination.
Existing technology includes a single neon tube encased inside a transparent tube filled with conductive fluid with one electrode of the neon tube connected to the high voltage source and the other to a rod of a precise, and considerable, length supported parallel to the high voltage source. U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,712 discloses the use of a high voltage source to operate a neon lamp but uses a light pervious rather than opaque enclosure, a single tube, and a rectifier to cause flashing of the single tube.